Weekend at the Grandidiers

Before I tell you about our weekend with the Grandidiers there are a few things I forgot to tell you.


At our apartment you have to walk up 88 steps before you can get to us...because we are on the 4th floor.
So yeah...that is a part of our everyday life now...going up and down at least once - 176 step a day at the least. Then you get to our door and will see our doorbell. :o)

I will show you the view from our windows later. Now, I'll tell you about the Grandidiers.

Here is a picture of us with them from the summer - I know, David's beard will shock you at first if you have seem him without it recently.

Ok, so this is really a picture of us with Stephen and the Grandidier parents. Lucas and Thibaut aren't in this one. Therefore, left to right, Stephen, Denis, Patricia, David, and Me. You say "den-knee" for Denis, and Patricia is the same. For Lucas, you say "luca", and for Thibaut...the easiest..."T-bo" Ok...now we can continue.

They live in Remilly. That is like going from Conyers to McDonough (maybe a little further...25 minutes), but here you have the option of taking a train (13 minutes). Denis owns a cabinet business...well it's not just for cabinets, he orders everything else that would go well with the cabinets that he makes, so really it is for the entire kitchen, but he specializes in the cabinets. He does very good work. Here are pictures of the store (le magasin)

"Cuisines" means kitchens.

And this is what their house looks like. It is to the left of the store/shop......it's huge.

Most French homes are not this large, they are more like the size of decent apartments. This house is more like the typical home you'd find in the US. They also have a very large backyard with a big garden, a pool (above ground), and lots of room for the boys to play.

Thibaut's birthday party was this weekend. They played videogames (play station)...

The TV is often set up like a movie theater, with a huge screen and projector, and of course...surround sound :o) Nice.

...and ate LOTS of pizza. One kid ate about 10 pieces. He's 10...a piece for each year.

(Thibaut is the one in the orange, and Lucas is at the far side of the table in light blue putting something in his mouth...he's a little older...maybe by a year)

It was amazing to watch Patricia make pizzas for this many boys. They were frozen pizzas...but still, in a French oven that could take a while. She could fit four at one time.

I think the next most exciting thing was that we played Scrabble. Not just any Scrabble, but French Scrabble. This was our gameboard...The only letter that wasn't used was that "w" It's like the hardest letter to use with French words. But we did that so that I could learn more French words. And it did help. I think when I teach english I will use Scrabble too. We played again, in English, to help Lucas (because he started taking English in school this year) but we were too slow sometimes, talking about what words mean etc, so he didn't stay for the whole game. Oh well.

We talked a lot. Well, David talked with them a lot. I listened a lot, and tried to understand the conversation and pick out words that I know. I also sat down with Denis, because Patricia's english is better than his, and we went through some basic conjugations. He would say them in english (well, read them from this cool book he has) and I would read them in French. Although, I think he knows more english than I know French...so while I was just reading it, I think he actually knew what he was saying without looking at the words. He has already learned a lot just from when I saw them over the summer. I hope I can make decent progress like that.

Other than that I saw birds and cats this weekend. And I could have owned any or all of them. Denis parents have lots of birds that they have won prizes for, and somehow Denis ended up with some "extras" I guess. He doesn't want them, so they tried to give them to me...David said no. But at least they aren't annoying birds. They have a nice sounding, delicate chirp. And the cats have been living/mating in Denis piles of wood for his cabinets. There were two grey kittens (one with cute little white paws) and the mother, a solid black cat that was extremely friendly. Oh to have a cat...oh well. David said no to that too. :o( I still have Duncan...thousands of miles away though.

oook, that is all for now.

The Swafford's are in France!

Below you will find 4 entries written before we had internet access, starting with the most recent one...enjoy!

Feb 1

Our line has been activated! We got a telephone call this morning (thanks to the phone Patricia gave us) from the guy from France Telecom who activated it. So, now David is trying to figure out how to hook up our Livebox. We should have internet very shortly! It is very exciting :o)

The electrician also came this morning (thanks to Denis Grandidier raising cain) to fix our hot plate.

In the beginning:

It is finished:

This is almost even more exciting! Last night for dinner we made chicken Fajita Tacos, and they so yummy. Tonight I will be using my new oven!

We’ll have Lemon Pepper Chicken, with potatoes and broccoli. :o) We were going to buy some frozen cookies the last time we were at the store, because I didn’t have my homemade cookie ingredients memorized, but we couldn’t find them. Very soon though, we will have cookies.

We are also going to get monthly bus passes today, after the electrician comes. This will allow us to ride the bus an unlimited amount of times without having to pay each time…they do similar things with MARTA. This will even be beneficial to me since I will be meeting with Farid for English lessons! :o) Today should turn out to be pretty good, not that the other days have been bad. I guess I should say that today will be less frustrating :o)

Jan 31

I’m sitting here in the apartment looking at our Livebox. Why am I only looking at it?

(see you can look at it too!)

Because we can’t use it. Come on, you can’t think that it would be as simple as receiving it in the mail, hooking it up, and viola! Oh no…here is the story…

A few days ago a girl named Sophie rang our “doorbell” from the street. After much confusion, David went down to talk to her. When he came back upstairs he told me that Sophie’s telephone line (also the line for internet at TV) was activated. Big deal, right? Well, she hadn’t ordered it…yet. She tried to call and order it, but they told her that she couldn’t because she had it already. Much to her confusion, she found out that she was Robert Swafford. So, she tried to explain to them that she wasn’t but they wouldn’t listen to her, because she wasn’t Robert Swafford. How did this happen? Well, Sophie lives at 1 Rue de la Paix…and we live at 1 Bis Rue de la Paix. This is a difference that they had failed to make a note of. We’ve been receiving mail from France Telecom…but not all of it. She received the delivery notices for our Livebox and digital TV…while I’ve been here waiting for them. So she finally brought them over so that we could pick up our packages from la poste. Only, the problem now is that our line is still not activated! Patricia Grandidier came over this morning to drop off the desk David bought, and the 50 piece kitchen set*, and some lamps, and also went with us to the France Telecom store so we could figure out what the big hold up was. They couldn’t help us, but they did say we needed to pay 30 euros to fix the problem with activating the wrong line. THEY want US to pay because THEY activated the wrong line. Well no, that isn’t going to happen. Patricia told us that if it showed up on our bill, to not pay it, and let her know. I love having French friends. Good news, the guy is supposed to come tomorrow around 2:30pm (14:30) to activate our line…or however that works. Soon…we should have internet soon.

Another bit of interesting entertainment from today…we went to the immoblier (apartment agency) to pay our rent and ask when the electrician would come to fix our hot plates. Long story short, the electrician can not schedule a rendezvous (meeting) because we don’t have a telephone… Honestly, it’s like this huge Catch 22.

A bit of good news! Isn’t this the best part of my entries!? Yesterday, David received his monthly scholarship money (our income) so we went shopping! For luxuries such as an oven! (a little smaller than a typical US microwave). It is an 18 L oven. Oh the smile it brings to my face! I can cook some decent meals now…and cookies! We also were able to buy a kitchen trash can, a bath mat, a hair dryer (!), as well as food to cook! Next big purchases on our list include a shower curtain, shelves for the bathroom and bedroom, a full length mirror, extension cords, and a trip to Japan :o) But ya know, it’s amazing what you can live off of when you don’t have much, and it really isn’t that bad.

One more bit of good news. One of the professors, that Julie (the wife of the married couple that was here for the master’s program) was doing English lessons with, has emailed me in hopes of continuing his lessons. She said that he is advanced enough to the point where he just wants to practice. So I will have a “part-time” job. Yippee! I can contribute to our income. Not much, but it’s better than nothing. Josyane (the American’s students best friend, and now mine – she works at GTL helping the students with EVERYTHING) also mentioned to me that when I start to get bored I can begin to talk to her about some part time work. That could be cool. I don’t know what that would involve, but I do know that it would involve getting paid.

Dinner at the Pound's was a lot of fun. Their 3 kids (Ana, Joshua, and Julie) always take about a half hour to calm down after everyone gets there, but then they are pretty good. David and I, as well as John and Constantine went. We are starting a study of Nahum. I don’t think I’ve ever read that book before so it will be really interesting. We also ate dinner with them. It was wonderful…we’ve eaten meals since we have been here, but this was more like a real meal...like a meal your mom would make. And we ate a lot…too much actually. That is the problem with good food, even if it is healthy for you. So we didn’t pick a specific day that we would meet, but we hope it will be a once a week kind of thing.

On a last note…I really feel like it is going to take me forever to learn French. David says it won’t be as bad as I think it will be, but when I hear him talking to Patricia and can’t understand a word they are saying, I disagree. It’s hard to get started…because you don’t know where or how to start!

My life is an adventure. I hope yours is too!

*50 piece kitchen set included:
- 5 knives and wooden block
- 4 piece cooking utensil set
- measuring cups and spoons
- peeler
- cork screw
- 4 large and 4 small plastic plates
- ice cream scoop!
- small, med, and large, storage containers
- can opener
- salt and pepper shakers
- large pot, pan, and skillet
…I think that’s about it. Pretty nice.

Jan 29

Our internet never came on Saturday. It’s kind of annoying. We waited here all day, didn’t go to the Grandidier’s and couldn’t get in touch with anyone back home. Then, nothing happens on Sunday so that is another day we couldn’t accomplish anything. Plus, our hot water didn’t seem to be working at all on Saturday, and when we woke up Sunday morning it was still freezing. Freezing to the point that we weren’t about to take showers. That started to worry me…what if we didn’t ever get hot water again!? Scarey…

Since we couldn’t shower, we didn’t dare go to church…instead we watched a sermon on DVD…then went walking around parts of the downtown Metz area. David wanted me to get a feel for where we live in relation to everything else. We walked along the river and to the campus of the Universite de Metz (Metz University) It is too bad that David wasn’t doing a dual degree with this campus, it’s so close to us! Anyway, it is a pretty nice campus – cool building architecture. Some students were outside playing soccer, but other than that it was pretty much dead. But they are kind of secluded from the rest of downtown which makes it feel more like a “normal” college campus. After that we went walking by the Plan d’eau. This is where the Mirabelle fireworks are ever year, over a big lake. It’s really a pretty lake, but it’s hard to think of it that way when it’s so cold outside. After that David tried to test me, to see if I knew how to get to the Cathedral from where we were. It’s kind of like walking around downtown Atlanta and asking someone to get to the old Bank of America building (the pencil building). It sticks up so that you can see it, and all you have to do is head towards it. But, even if it weren’t like that, I knew how to get there. :o) It is very close to our apartment. So we went there and then to where the American’s favorite ice cream shop is (they aren’t selling ice cream this time of year though – we were just finding places), and then David started to get hungry so we headed back to the apartment to make dinner.

Good news about our refrigerator though. It has a small freezer space that had an ice cube tray in it. Of course, that means we tried to make ice, and it worked! It took a really long time, but it worked. This is a very good sign. Hopefully it will still work over the summer (hey, you never know) so we can have cold drinks. That would be wonderful.

Today, Monday, David had to go to campus – you will hear me refer to this as David going to “work.” And we were thinking that the Livebox might get delivered today…so David prepped me on what I could say to the guy if he comes. Along the lines of “I don’t speak French.” But…it’s 4pm already, and no delivery guy! There is also supposed to be an electrician coming to fix our hot plates…he hasn’t shown up either. I was really looking forward to being able to use the internet to help me plan meals, and do travel research, not to mention help the time pass while David is away. But, that doesn’t really matter yet anyway because David has to get paid before we can buy any real food, or travel anywhere…and that hasn’t happened yet.

Last night we practiced more French. We counted from 1 to 100 again, faster this time, and alternating back and forth. Then went into even higher numbers so that I would be able to say years. So then he asked me multiple people’s birthdates and I had to say them in French. It went pretty well. David is a good teacher. Then we played scrabble. I was winning the entire game – until the very end! I hadn’t used a Q, so that was minus 10 points! Argh… These games are great though. They are travel sized games that come in their own little travel cases (we have Scrabble and Yatzee thanks to the Dunlaps)

With more of my free time I’ve been planning out other things we need to buy, and the throw I going to knit. I think, and I still have to consult David before it is official, but I think it will be dark blue and tan to match our futon and the rug under it. We really need another blanket, we always have to pull the comforter off of our bed. Anyway, I’ve created a couple different patterns that we’ll have to choose from, and then I need to go buy yarn and I can get started! Maybe by then we will have our internet, telephone, and TV connection so that I can watch some French TV and try to learn more French while I knit. That’s the plan at least…

We are going to the Pound’s apartment tonight for dinner, at 6pm. They have 3 children, so it is always pretty lively over there. But it will be nice to be able to talk back to some other people in English, instead of looking at them like, “uh, what?” We will also be doing a bible study with them once a week – I think – so we’re going to talk about that to, and try to pick a day and get other people to come…maybe some students from GTL. I hoping to be able to have some people over here sometime too…but again, it’s amazing what you can’t do without any money. So, we’re waiting…

Jan 27

It’s my second day in France! I was laying next to David in bed this morning when I started this…he was still “sleeping,” but I don’t really sleep that late anymore so I was bored. Amazingly, I seem to be adjusted to the time change already. Sleeping on the plane and on the train must have helped with that. When I arrived it was -3 C (26 F) and a little cloudy. Aside from my nose and ears being a little cold, it hasn’t been too bad. I have a very warm down jacket to thank for that…and all the walking we do. When you are out in the cold all the time there isn’t as much of a temperature change to feel like you do in the US getting in and out of warm cars and buildings.

Our apartment is wonderful! It has so much character. We are on the top floor (4th) so we have slanted ceilings and moon-roof windows. There are also old railroad ties and poles that come out of the floor and walls. Plus we have a 2nd floor mezzanine bedroom (up the stairs).

This will serve as our guest room – so come visit! It isn’t very big though, but that’s ok, because we don’t want you to hang out in your room all day, you have to spend time with us :o)

Our room is a lot bigger than I expected.

Our bed is positioned nicely underneath some of the decorative railroad ties, and near that nice white pole. It actual works pretty well, and it is the best use of the space in that room, especially if we are going to add other things.

(this is opposite from our bed. David's iPod Bose speaker is in the center, and my stuff is on the left side, David's is on the right, and we share the center drawers)

We still need some other furniture like some end tables, and maybe a portable closet (if the one in the hall isn’t big enough…we have yet to unpack that much), and some more drawers.

We have a water closet and a bathroom…that also has a slanted ceiling thus a low mounted shower head, so we’re learning to take bath-showers. (bath-shower = sitting in the tub instead of standing) You can stand, but since the shower head is mounted at the level of your waist it gets kind of chilly.

Our kitchen is not very large, but has lots of potential.

(this picture is from after the entry was written, so some of the potential is being shown!)

As soon as we can we are hoping to put in a small oven (well, everything is small), some more shelves, and another countertop next to the sink.
These are some of the shelves we have underneath our countertop. We could probably use more space like this.

The kitchen overlooks the living room that has been furnished with the generous donations from the Grandidier family. They gave us a lot of furniture that they were going to replace, and it works well here.

Our first meal was spaghetti, because it was easy and inexpensive. For breakfast we have been eating the Apple Jacks that David’s mom sent him last semester – he had never opened them. We also had huge salads last night. They had lettuce, of course, tomato, cheese, oranges, egg, mushrooms, carrots, and dressing. We ate the salads with soft baguette bread and David’s oil/vinegar/parmesan/herb creation. For dessert we have been eating the Japanese candy that Eileen sent us – green tea kit-kats, pocky sticks, latte kit-kats, yummy starburst-like chewy candies, and koala cookie/crackers. David is addicted to the latte flavored koala crackers, it’s hilarious.

Last night it was snowing! Yep, we had snow accumulating on our roof and windows. After the snow stopped it started hailing, but it didn’t last all night. There is still some snow on the grass near the river (we can see that from our window), but that is about it. It’s cold enough for more, you never know!

Today we had plans to go to the Grandiders for Thibaut’s (“T-bo”) birthday. He turned 10. We were also supposed to be getting our Livebox (internet)…but it never came. So now we don’t know when we’ll get it, cause nothing happens on Sundays…and David will be at GTL on Monday, so if they come then, they’ll have to talk to me. I hope they don’t need anything! I think David’s plans were to sleep in until they came. But eventually that became pointless. So instead, we cleaned the entire apartment…swept, mopped, dusted – everything. Now it is liveable. The kitchen and bathroom floors still appear dirty, but that is just because they are stained. We also moved furniture around – our bed and a dresser that was in the living room. It was pointless there, so we put it in the bedroom and are now using it for clothes…I have a lot more clothes than David…but he won’t share his extra space with me! :o( I’ll live. (this is shown in the picture above...where you can see David's iPod Bose speaker)

Well, time to go!

Words I learned today:

The fork = la fourchette
The spoon = la cuiller
The knife = le couteau
The plate = la assiette
The table = la table

AND I counted to 100 and said all the letters of the alphabet. “Y” is the weirdest letter!

Adios! Oops, I mean, Au Revior! Bon Voyage!

Big Plans

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/SusanKommeth&DavidSwafford

Vacation is over :o( But it was AWESOME!

If you ever get the opportunity to take a 2 month vacation to France, DO IT!

So much has happened so far that I can't recount all of it at the moment. The most exciting though is that David proposed and we are getting married Decemeber 23rd! The link is to a website where you can read all about how it happened, and then stay up to date on the details. I'm sure if you are reading this you'd be invited! Yippee!

http://www.theknot.com/ourwedding/SusanKommeth&DavidSwafford

The World I Know

30 days in Europe so far, who would have guessed this would ever happen?

It's been fun, but there are some stereotypes I must set straight. The French aren't rude...Yes, I know you are thinking "Well, have you been to Paris? The Parisians are!" I didn't find that to be true either. For the 6 days I spent in Paris people were very friendly. Every waiter or waitress we had was great, regardless of the language barrier. Yeah it is frustrating at times, but I think it may be the Americans that get frustrated most when they don't understand, because, for the most part, none of us have much international travel experience, much less a familiarity with other languages like other people of the world.

We are blessed...We speak a language that everyone is expected to learn - in their schools. English is universal. If you have a guy from Japan meet a guy from Croatia, they will most likely speak English with one another to communicate. Thus, giving Americans reason to be lazy, and not branch out. We actually witnessed this at a hotel...Two women having a business meeting...Both foreign to each other, yet speaking English. Pretty neat. But then it leaves Americans with a stereotype. I met a guy at a bus stop the other day from Australia - he was lost in Metz - and lucky he bumped into me, cause he spoke even less French than I do! But, when he found out that I had also been to London his immediate reaction was "Wow! You are well traveled for an American!" ...He only knew of me going to 2 places!! So when he found out that I have also been to Italy, Honduras, Canada, and Mexico, he was floored. He had a great statistic, and it's probably true...8% of Americans have passports. It's too bad! There is so much to see in this world, yet so many people are confined to their own little spaces in fear of doing something outside of their normal routine. My advice = get out when you can...See the things God has created ALL over the world...Not just in your neighborhood. It helps you understand His true size.

Ok, so now it is time for some pictures and fun stuff :o)

Lately, David and I have been spending our time finalizing our vacation plans, while he tries to finish up his research and presentation so that we can leave!! So in the meantime, we have had friends visit (Danielle and Katy) seen some pretty cool things (waterfountain music and light show, Alice in Wonderland play in the streets, a hedgehog - they don't like to to touched, and untouched Hershey bars in the refrigerator at GTL - sooo tempted)

Here are some pictures of my world here in France:

from the left: an acquired set of soft drinks...although misshapen, very refreshing. New sunglasses for the future Dr. Swafford, raising him to a new level of "cool." And a meal seen as a delicacy in most countries...or it should be...tacos! And our new 'official world cup' soccer ball, for fun times at the beach!!

So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

Col.2:6-7

Far Far Away

Bonjour!

Well, I'm in France! I have been here since the 29th of June. I traveled with my parents to Paris, Rome, Florence, and Strasbourg where we met up with David. And now my parents have left and I am here in Metz with David! On August 5th we will leave for the traveling part of our vacation to lots of different cities in France. (He is still finishing up his internship)

I am staying in the apartment of some missionaries who have left for a vacation to Spain. They have 3 little kids too. Their place is really nice, considering I could be sleeping on the floor of a dorm room instead. Vicky, the wife of the family told me that I could use just about anything I wanted to, so I did some of their dishes, and a load of laundry already. But I'm really only there at night and for breakfast in the morning. It is really nice of them though. I don't know that I could have that much trust with a complete stranger.

This vacation has been pretty great so far, and I still have 5 and a half weeks left! I need to learn more French though...

Here are some pictures from the trip so far:




( outside The Louvre, The Colosseum, Michelangelo's Pieta, me and a golden mime, the Eiffel Tower, My parents, David and myself across the river from Notre Dame)

Au Revior!

The End Times are ... NOW!

I am happy to announce that Jesus has come, and I know what heaven will look like :o)

Seriously...let me explain!

Here is Heaven:














how do I know? because of this:



















and, Here is Jesus:


Where can they be found? Rochester :o) Viola - mystery is solved.















(Jesus is my Aunt and Uncle's exchange student for the summer, and Abbott's ice cream truly is the best ice cream/frozen custard ever made. Ask anyone who has had it (Fround in Rochester NY)...so yeah, Jesus is here and everyone has access to heaven, you just have to choose to get there) :o)

Off to France!!!!!

Lasting Impressions

Today was my last day of work with Sodexho. I'm very glad to be leaving, but also am sad to go. Glad because I will be able to get a real job now, with real responsibilities and all that good stuff, but sad to be leaving the people I worked with. Everyone there is very nice , and I've enjoyed working with them. I only hope that at my next job the people I work with will be just as fun. They gave me some nice Tech stuff though...a trash can, blanket (throw), key chain, drink coozie (sp?), license plate frame, and caaaaaaandy.

On a more exciting note...at lunch today I saw some of the kids from the CRC summer camp. It made me miss camp! But I got to see most of my "favorite" kids (shhh!). The only problem is they all come up to you and ask "Do you remember my name? What about me, do you remember my name???" Well that isn't very easy to do on the spot, unless they were one of your "favorites." And you don't want to scar them because you didn't remember their name! That would be terrible. Afterwards I thought of what I should have done. I should have just joked around with them and called them Fred or Bob...even the girls. That would have made it more funny. It was good to see them all. Working with kids is so much fun...and so rewarding. I highly recommend it...unless you can't tolerate kids. On the same note, if you can't tolerate kids...don't have any of your own! It is easy to tell when kids have bad parents, sad too.

The above featured kids: Amadia, Elysia (twins), Christopher, Noah, and Matthieu.

Good Day

Well...











...cause it's almost time to go to France!!!
(17 days; 386 hours and 50 minutes - but who is counting!?)

Here is a picture of the Eiffel Tower... why? Just because I wanted to put something French up here. But, before long I'll have pictures that I have taken myself! Yippee!

I have been trying to learn some French. We ordered some audio CDs (French for me and my Dad, and Italian for my Mom - cause we are also going to Italy, and she's half Italian) ...So, currently I know how to say "I am American." and "Do you understand French/English?" and stuff like that. I'm on lesson 3 of 8...I better get crackin! But I don't know how to spell any of it because they are audio CDs. I try to imagine the words in my head, but do you know how weird French spelling is!? It's crazy...

It's amazing all the things that have happened so far this year, and that will continue to happen over the next few months. I graduated...from college...from Georgia Tech...that's just weird. I don't feel 22. I feel 16. (don't tell any perspective employers!) ;o) I will travel farther and longer than I ever have before. So exciting! I will start working. At a real job...not Student Assisting - finally! A salary! I'm ready to start working. It will be exciting, something new. New is good. I will have to do adult stuff, like think about insurance...health...life...whatever else they say you need...

Aside from all of that, I went to Six Flags last Thursday wth Jennifer, Jermemy, and Matthew. Fun fun fun. It wasn't too crowded, and we got to ride the new ride "Goliath" (say with a deep booming voice...go ahead, try again.) We went like 4 or 5 times. But you have to ride in the front, seriously, it's better. You have to go for the best quality...even with the rollercoasters you ride. Unless of coourse you can match this coolness. David, honestly I'm surprised you haven't done this yet. I'll be going back to Six Flags to sell T-shirts for Atlanta Fest with some people from the church. That should be fun. Free admission...some rides (hopefully)...some bands to listen to... good times.

Well, I didn't really have any specific reason for this post except that I have made one in a while. So, there it is!

Word of the day: TRUST
"Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." Psalm 37:3

Behind the Scenes

So, I guess I should fill you in on the rest of the story (from below).

After some theft between The Bob-O and myself (his G magnet and my Buzz) Alex and I took it off of his car one night after 722. When driving back towards Atlanta we decided that taking the G was not good enough...it needed something more. It just so happens that Chris Tomlin was performing at 722 that night (and The Bob-O is obsessed) so we decided to grab a dispoable camera from a gas station and attempt to find Chris. LUCKILY he hadn't left yet, so I talked one of his roadie guys into getting his attention. So, Chris came out, we talked, explained the situation, and took his picture with the magnet. A thumbs up one (for The Bob-O) as well as a thumbs down one (for me). He was a great sport about it.

Well, that's all it took. After that, the ideas started flowing!

So we decided to drive to Alabama! After stopping by West Georgia (Bethany & Maria), and the big "Welcome to Alabama" road sign (it seems like cars are going REALLY fast when you are on the side of the highway at night), then the Alabama border, where we actually got a hispanic guy to take a picture with the magnet (even though I don't think he understood what was going on), followed by stops at The Fox Theater and Tech, we were able to formulate a plan for the whole sceme. It was a long night. I don't think I got back to my house until 3:30am.

From there Alex took the remaining pictures with a UPS guy, with some GSU police officer's motorcycle, a car with a California license plate, at the rec center at GSU, with his roommates, and from the top of the Westin. After that, we sent the magnet to France and David took it around with him as he traveled. We were going to send it to Eileen in Japan after that, but decided that The Bob-O was getting a little antsy. But it really did go to Alabama and France! So that is pretty cool. It was fun...for Alex, David, and I at least. :o) Thanks Bob-O!!

*The G now resides on the trunk door of The Bob-O's Vibe, where he will live happily ever after*

The G that was Lost

It is time to tell a story that is LONG over due.

There once was a guy named The Bob-O,
who was really fun to play jokes on.

See, The Bob-O is a young lad who attends the University of Georgia, why? ...good question.

Anyway, he travels regularly to Alpharetta for the popular night life (722) every Tuesday night. One night, when arriving home (athens) he noticed something was missing from his Vibe (car). "Oh no!" The Bob-O said. "Whatever shall I do? My G has disappeared." He said in fear.

Later than night, little did he know, His G began a journey... a journey across the WORLD! But never fear! The G couldn't travel far without keeping in touch with his precious The Bob-O.

Below is the correspondence he kept with His precious The Bob-O throughout his travels. Behold!

The Adventures of The Lost G!
---------------------------------------
Dear Bob-O,

I wanted to get in touch with you so that you wouldn't worry. I am ok. I was not stolen or magnetnapped, but I made this decision on my own. I could only take so much. From parking lot to parking lot...Athens to Alpharetta, Alpharetta to Athens, Athens to McDonough, McDonough to Athens...that is all I ever did! I needed a break. But I am ok. And I will be back soon. But there are so many journey's that await me. I will share with you my first one so far. I made my way back to downtown, because I rarely go there, and decided to see a play. What better place to go than the Fox Theater? I saw a nice show called Tyler Perry's Madae Goes to Jail. I know it sounds strange. But I thought it might be worth it. ...my first play ever. I was even lucky enough to have someone take my picture in front of part of the Theater, so that you could see I was really there. I cannot wait to see what the future holds. Until my next adventure ---

- The Lost G –

Dear Bob-O,
Hello again! I am glad I finally got the chance to update you on my travels. After my visit to the Fox Theater I decided to look around the downtown area a little more. I found my way over to the Georgia Institute of Technology campus in hopes that I might meet another magnet like myself. Well, not exactly like myself of course, but you know what I mean. Instead, I ran into their mascot, a yellow jacket. I must say, he was a lot bigger than I had expected and very defensive at first when he saw that I was on their campus, but Buzz turned out to be a very nice guy. (See our picture I have attached!) Yes, I was a little out of place, but after our initial encounter he showed me around some more...it was quite fun. Not the atmosphere I am used to, but it was a nice change. Well, I hope you are looking forward to my next adventures as much as I am, and I am so glad that my vacation idea has gone over well with you so far. I'm enjoying my opportunity to see new things, maybe even travel the world? We will see. Until my next adventure--
- The Lost G -

Dear Bob-O,
I must say, I have been extremely busy in my travels this week. I have gone farther than I ever have before. After my marvelous visit with Buzz at Georgia Tech, he was kind enough to send me off with some of his friends who were traveling down Interstate-20. So I went along for a ride, and before I knew it I ran into some people that I believe you know. Two very lovely ladies showed me around the campus of West Georgia. Being so used to The University of Georgia, I was shocked to see how much smaller this one was. It was very nice though. Please, do look at the picture I took to document my experience. I hope I have not caused you too much worry, but I am, very much, enjoying myself. I hope you are looking forward to my next update as much as I am. You never know where the road may lead. Until my next adventure--

- The Lost G -

Dear Bob-O,

I am so excited about where I have gone! The attached pictures will give you a little hint. It is so fascinating to have traveled this far for the first time. I hope that when I return you will be willing to travel with me. It does get lonely at times. Although, everyone I meet is very kind. I am begining to wonder whether you miss me. I have not heard from you. I hope things are well. I must continue. Until my next adventure--

- The Lost G –

Dear Bob-O,
Oh the fun I'm having! I continued the drive through Alabama and into Mississippi crossing over a very beautiful bridge! But I did not do much in Mississippi. All of the commotion seemed to be in Louisiana. So that is where I headed. Unfortunately something terrible has happened there recently! Almost everywhere I went I had to travel through water. It was quite unpleasant, and I was happy to finally find some dry areas. I met up with a nice man named Pablo (our picture is included) who was doing some construction on nearby buildings and it looked like he needed some help, so I helped him out for a while. It was very fun, I've never been so productive before! But afterwards I was very tired! So I took a day to rest up. The next day, I needed to continue thinking about my travels, but because I had worked so hard the day before I thought I deserved a much needed time of recreation. I headed over to what looked like an enormous gymnasium in hopes of playing some basketball...yes I know, you wouldn't expect me to like basketball, but I do enjoy it. To my surprise the gymnasium was completely abandoned, as you can see from my documenting photo. It would have been very hard to play a game by myself, so I made plans to leave and continue on in my travels. It has been a very eventful week, I had hoped to update you more, but I am sure you yourself have been very busy as well. I hope all is well.
Until my next adventure--
- The Lost G -

Hello Bob-O!
Something amazing happened to me! I got to ride on a motorcycle for the first time! While looking for a way to continue my travels I found a police officer on a motorcycle, who was hesitant at first to take me along, but when he realized I wouldn't be in the way he agreed! It was very scary at first, but I got used to it. This is how I traveled in to Texas. Yep, Texas. I can't wait to see what lies ahead here. There is so much to do in such a large state. I have some ideas but I would not want to spoil the surprises. I hope you are ok. I hope I have the right address. I can not believe I have not heard from you since I have been gone. Are you mad at me? Please do not be.
Until my next adventure--
- The Lost G -

Dear Bob-O,
As you know I am currently in Texas. I just wanted you to know that I'm in good hands. :o) Wouldn't you agree? (See attached) You can't be mad now can you?
Until my next adventure--

- The Lost G -

Can you guess where I've been? (pictures from Europe)
- The Lost G -

Oh, but the adventures are so great. (pictures more pictures from Europe)

- The Lost G -

The G also went rock climbing in Arizona...

To California by way of UPS...

Sent the Bob-O a picture with some roses...because he missed him...

And almost made it to Japan...but he feared The Bob-O would have a heart attack...

--------------------------------------------

I appologize greatly for the lack of pictures, but they just wouldn't load! I'm sorry! So sorry, they wer really the best part...especially at the end there. BUT, I would be more than happy to email them to you if you are interested.

Why I never liked English Class

There is a point to this post, that has to do with its title, but I'm afraid I won't reach that point until the very end. I'm sorry, happy reading!

To begin, if you have read The Da Vinci Code book...the movie will be a little disappointing.

Well, as you can see, I have been reading The Da Vinci Code because of all the controversy surrounding it so that I could come to my own conclusions. I don't think Christians should be afraid of it, but willing to defend the real Truth that it challenges. First off, I would like everyone to know, that at it's core, the story line of The Da Vinci Code contradicts itself. It claims that Mary Magdalene is the 'divine feminine' meaning that she, rather than Jesus, is worthy of being worshiped. Why? Because they said that Jesus wanted Mary Magdalene, rather than Peter, to be the one to lead His church after his death. This, also based on the fact that Jesus was supposedly just a prophet (= A person gifted with profound moral insight and exceptional powers of expression). Therefore, not God, not divine, and thus dead today rather than alive (which he is by the way...alive). But Mary Magdalene's divinity is based on the fact that Jesus gave her that great responsibility. BUT, if he was just a prophet/man, then Jesus himself...or God... was not divine and therefore cannot "bless" Mary Magdalene with carrying on any kind of divinity at all.

Next...

Another reason why the book, and the story it tells can be seen in no way as truth, is because the majority of the "messages" that carry the "truth" are interpreted from art. And for anyone who has ever been in a Mrs. Boyd or Mr. Smith English class, and are required to interpret author's meaning in a story or the allusions it contains, you'll know that there are MANY ways to interpret someone else's work...especially when they aren't alive to explain it to you. Who is to say one interpretation is the correct one? It is wrong to say "This is what Da Vinci was really trying to tell us in his painting" if he is not there to confirm or reject the analysis.

...so, this is the reason why I never liked English class. Because if you interpreted one thing one way, and it didn't align with what the teacher had come up with, then your interpretation was wrong. I guess that leaves my overall point to be: can't we just look at art work and admire the talent of the artist without putting our own meanings into it? If there was something they wanted to say, they would have just written it down!

Meet Duncan

Hi Everybody! This is Duncan. He is my new Dog! Check out his cuteness.
Below are some picture of him from the first day we got him, up until now. Some of the pictures may have gotten messed up in the "collaging" process (ie the one of Duncan with King Kong), but you can still see how cute he is.

Duncan is somewhere around 5 - 6 years old. He weighs 26 pounds (so far). He has brown eyes, and white fur at the bottom of each paw. He is a mix of terriers, and has wirey hair. And, of course, he likes to go on long walks. hehehe. (but he really does!) He was a stray when we found him, and was covered in ticks, but after a little doctoring up, he doesn't smell bad and is tick-free!
He LOVES to be around people, and doesn't like to be left alone :o( He follows me around like I'm his mother duck. He is currently recovering from a heart worm treatment, which means he isn't supposed to get a lot of exersize for a while. So I'm trying to keep him calm, but it is difficult.
My mom calls him her Granddog. :o)

Come and meet him some time!

 

Eligible Bachelors

Lady's and Gentlemen...

I would like to introduce to you, Alex and Scott.

Ok...that's all I wanted to say :o/

Amen.

A thousand times I've failed, still your mercy remains,
Should I stumble again, til I'm caught in your grace?
Everlasting. Your light will shine when all else fades.
Neverending. You glory goes beyond all fame.

Your will above all else, my purpose remains,
The art of losing myself, in bringing you praise.
Everlasting. Your light will shine when all else fades.
Neverending. Your glory goes beyond all fame.

In my heart and my soul, I give you control.
Consume me from the indside out.
Let justice and praise,
Become my embrace,
Consume me from the inside out!

Your will above all else, my purpose remains,
The art of losing myself, in bringing you praise.
Everlasting. Your light will shine when all else fades.
Neverending. Your glory goes beyond all fame.

In my heart and my soul, I give you control.
Consume me from the indside out, Lord.
Let justice and praise,
Become my embrace,
To love you from the inside out!

Everlasting! Your light will shine when all else fades!
Neverending! Your glory goes beyond all fame!
And the cry of my heart is to bring you praise!
From the inside out, oh my soul cries out - LORD!

In my heart and my soul, I give you control.
Consume me from the inside out, Lord.
Let justice and praise, become my embrace,
To love you from the inside out.

Everlasting! Your light will shine when all else fades!
Neverending! Your glory goes beyond all fame!
And the cry of my heart is to bring you praise!
From the inside out, oh my soul cries out -
Everlasting! Your light will shine when all else fades!
Neverending! Your glory goes beyond all fame!
And the cry of my heart is to bring you praise!
From the inside out, oh my soul cries out, from the inside out, oh my soul cried out - LORD!

~Hillsong United~

From the Inside Out

Hear it! Live it! Love it!

Disciple Now 2006

This weekend we had Disciple Now.
~ The Challenge of Choices ~

It was a great weekend full of laughter, learning, and growth for all involved. Below is a picture of my group.

Leaders: Julie Swafford and Myself

10th grade girls: Caitlyn, Hayley, Katie, Jessi, Amanda, Rachel, Breanna, and Morgen.

We had a great time! And Algernon and Steve Fee helped us end the weekend fired up and motivated.

Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2

DISCLAIMER

This is a disclaimer on behalf of Alex concerning the previous post:

Alex does know how to change a tire.
Alex made a decision based on the surrounding conditions, in regards to safety, not to change the tire.
Alex wants everyone to know that Luke says "It's OK!"

For further questions on any of the points addressed above, please contact Alex Campbell.

:o)

Tuesday Nights Are Always Exciting!

Whether it be because of a last minute trip, a planned outing, or just because something entirely random happens, Tuesday nights are ALWAYS exciting. This Tuesday Night was no exception. At 722, Hillsong United (Australian Worship Band) came for a concert (see picture)
So we enjoyed worshipping with them until 10:30(!!!) It was GRRREAT ...although an hour later than we usually are there until...but that's ok, because they are from Australia.

Following all the fun, Alex and I get into the car and drive to the gas station, because I need gas real bad. So we get gas..I learn that they still let you pump gas even when they are closed, if you pay by credit card ( I never knew that!)... We get back into the car and head for the on-ramp to 400. So we are driving down the on-ramp and all of a sudden we heard this funny "scratchy" noise from underneath my car. Then Alex chimes in with "I think it's a flat." ...how much fun could that be!? So we pull over, get out and look, and sure enough...I have a flat tire. :o/ Not cool. Need a visual?

GOOD TIRE


BAD TIRE

So then the real adventure began ... waiting. For some reason Alex and I always spend a long time in cars together. It's quite fun. But anyway. After the tow truck driver getting the wrong directions, and turning around to come get us, we finally made it off of the side of the road and home. It was 1:30AM. ...and I still had a paper to finish and a presentation to prepare for for the next day (today). So I went to bed at 3:30AM. I'm tired.

One more thing...I tried to put the spare/donut tire on the car this afternoon, and everything was going fine, until I got to the lug nuts. They are SO tight! I was standing on the lug nut wrench and it still didn't budge. Here is the proof of my efforts...

...and I had already washed my hands once...

Well, that's all for today!

What do you run for?

Running is probably the most eventful part of my "daily" routine.

When I run, I usually run up to the Zoo, to run around Grant Park. Along the way I run by people - some that say hi some that don't, some that tell me "keep on goin' you can make it," or "hey, you want a ride?" (while riding by on his skate board...??). Occasionally, when running through the Zoo parking lot, I'll catch people that are making out in their cars. Remember, I said eventful. I run by animals, that I always want to pet! ...but that would slow me down, so I resist. I run by construction, new houses, old houses, big trucks, lots of machinery...pretty much everything besides air planes and aliens.

In addition to all that, when I run I think a lot. That is eventful all in itself :o) Whether I am listening to some podcast that challenges my beliefs or brings up new issues that I've never thought about, or just thinking about my life while listening to music...my mind ends up running along with my legs.

But most of all, running gives me a chance to talk to God about my day. Despite all the distractions it's very effective. It helps me clear my mind and begin to think straight about anything that I've let my emotions skew out of proportion. It's a way to get away from reality and focus on what really matters, and I need that far to often.

This is time to give you all the praise that you deserve.

Oh Lord you mercy turns us into grateful people.

We can't seem to find the words.

Take our lives, that they might be enough, to tell you how grateful...

...Lord we are grateful.

~Watermark~